Exercise Options When Daylight Is Scarce

As summer moves into fall and fall into winter, there are fewer and fewer daylight hours in which to accomplish your exercise routine (or anything else!). The increasing darkness and lack of sunlight can send many people into a slump. It can be challenging to come up with a workout routine when the days are dark, but there are options. Here are some exercise options when daylight is scarce.

1. Winter Sports

Winter opens up a lot of possibilities for winter sports that you can take advantage of. Here are some of them.

* Skiing – The whole family can participate in skiing, and it’s a seasonal sport that can actually help you look forward to the winter season. Downhill or cross-country, skiing is a valid exercise option in these darker months of the year.

* Ice skating – With indoor rinks, ice skating is not necessarily a fall and winter sport only. But it’s something special if you can take advantage of it at an outdoor area, or simply make it a winter tradition at an indoor rink. This is another family-friendly exercise option.

* Sledding and snowboarding – These fun activities can be done in your backyard or at a nearby park. It’s yet another family-friendly exercise option! Kids won’t even think of it as a workout or fitness routine.

2. Night Running and Walking

Too dark for an after-dinner run or before-breakfast walk? Use your own judgment, of course, but there are some safety precautions you can take to make a dusk-time run or walk feasible. Here are some tips.

* Wear reflective clothing. Reflectors on shoes and even worn over your clothes are a good way to ensure that you’re seen by motorists.

* Stay near your home and walk on a level area of your yard or on a public track with others if possible.

* Go in a group whenever you can.

* Carry a cell phone.

* Offer to jog or walk your neighbor’s dog, especially if it’s a large breed!

3. Gyms

It’s not just New Year’s resolutions that drive people to the gyms in the wintertime. Sometimes, it’s the fact that a gym provides a brightly-lit, warm place for people to gather and exercise that draws members. It’s certainly a viable exercise option during the darker months, with a variety of activities available, like swimming, treadmills, weights, and many others.

4. Leaf Raking

Invite the neighborhood kids over to your house for a leaf-raking party. Allow lots of jumping into piles! Then offer to rake your neighbors’ yards the next weekend. You can move the party from door to door, and give everyone an opportunity for exercise (and have their yard raked!).